For Atik Aprianingsih, leading in an academic environment such as a university requires a delicate balance. On one hand, she must firmly uphold rigorous standards for research quality. On the other hand, she needs to be flexible and connect with students on a personal level to foster “aha moments”, the enlightening instances when a complex situation finally resolves itself.
As the Head of the Master’s and Doctoral Program in Management Science (MSM and DSM) at SBM ITB, Atik’s leadership style has deep roots grounded in her early career in industrial quality assurance. Her experience in ensuring the precision of spare parts in factories has now evolved into a thorough approach to auditing academic excellence.
Within the campus community, Atik is well known for joking about her unofficial title: “The Collector.” The nickname stems from her years of experience ensuring that both lecturers and students follow through on their research commitments.
“Since 2015, my daily task has been to chase lecturers and remind them to deliver their research outputs. Now, my ‘collection targets’ have shifted to students,” she said with a laugh when interviewed at the SBM ITB campus in Bandung (18/2).
Behind the humour, however, lies a significant mission: to ensure that SBM ITB continues to stand as a respected research institution on the international stage.
Atik’s educational background is unique for a business school leader. She graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from Brawijaya University. Her experience in the Incoming Quality Control division at a factory shaped her systemic thinking.
She has one story that always sticks in her mind: a factory safety rule that required workers to use both hands when operating a press machine. When this rule was violated for the sake of speed, work accidents immediately followed.
“The rule has a reason, but if we don’t explain ‘why’ the rule exists, people tend to reject it,” Atik recalled.
She carries this philosophy into academia, particularly when coordinating AACSB international accreditation. For her, a campus is not just a collection of individuals, but a complete system that must function harmoniously.
With a DBA in Organizational Studies, Atik has a keen sense of academic integrity. Her experience as Managing Editor for the journals AJTM and Mantek, as well as her role as an accredited reviewer for Sinta, gives her a keen eye for detecting predatory journals.
She is particularly vigilant in guiding doctoral students (DSM) through the maze of global publications.
“Sometimes a journal looks neat on paper, but if they can publish 50 articles in a single issue, that’s a red flag,” she emphasized.
For Atik, publication is not just an administrative requirement for graduation, but also a reflection of personal integrity and the school’s global reputation.
Atik’s main focus as Head of Study Program is ensuring students graduate on time. She is well aware that, especially in doctoral programs with minimal face-to-face contact, the temptation to procrastinate is immense. That’s why she has tightened the supervisory system twice each semester to ensure students don’t lose direction and momentum.
Despite being known as a “strict auditor,” Atik’s heart always softens when it comes to student mentoring. Of all the pillars of the Tridharma of Higher Education, mentoring is the part she loves most.
“I really enjoy one-on-one discussion sessions with students,” she admits sincerely. “Seeing students finally grasp complex concepts after long discussions, that’s where I find the deepest meaning in what I do.”
